Thursday, November 4, 2010

There are many ways to promote peace in the world. In my younger days, I wanted to make the grand gesture, going to rallies and shouting til I was hoarse. But that wasn't me. It always came off as being phony and not as heartfelt as I would like.

These days I take a much quieter stance. I've come to recognize that it's the small things that add up to make big change. That's why I try to move the world toward a peaceful existence by the choices I make in my daily life.

Take, for example, my career path. I choose to work with very young children. It's not a flashy job and certainly not one that pays well. However, over the years I've found I have some skills for making kids feel good about themselves, to feel confident and able to face the many challenges that await them as they grow older. I let them know that we each have our own unique strengths and at the same time have things we can learn from other people. I help them find their own voice so that they can use it to solve problems in a peaceful, generative way. That's not to say I want them to become passive and complacent, though. I want them to learn to speak up for themselves and for others when they see injustice.

The other thing I try to do is to live simply. Sure, it's tough living paycheck to paycheck and worrying that there won't be enough to make ends meet. At the same time, I've learned to live with less and be grateful for what I have, trying to find abundance in all areas of my life. I don't always succeed at this... in fact I can easily fall into a state of resentment and self-pity if I let myself. But ultimately, that's counter productive. It helps no one, least of all myself. As the phrase goes, "Live simply so that others can simply live."

Finally, when I think of the word "peace", I think of calm. My life is often hectic and noisy. I relish the moments I have when I can sit quietly and simply "be". These weeks of enforced inactivity have been a gift in that way. I know from experience that unless I'm in a state of peace, I can't be effective in promoting peace beyond myself.

There are many ways to promote peace in the world. In my younger days, I wanted to make the grand gesture, going to rallies and shouting til I was hoarse. But that wasn't me. It always came off as being phony and not as heartfelt as I would like.

These days I take a much quieter stance. I've come to recognize that it's the small things that add up to make big change. That's why I try to move the world toward a peaceful existence by the choices I make in my daily life.

Take, for example, my career path. I choose to work with very young children. It's not a flashy job and certainly not one that pays well. However, over the years I've found I have some skills for making kids feel good about themselves, to feel confident and able to face the many challenges that await them as they grow older. I let them know that we each have our own unique strengths and at the same time have things we can learn from other people. I help them find their own voice so that they can use it to solve problems in a peaceful, generative way. That's not to say I want them to become passive and complacent, though. I want them to learn to speak up for themselves and for others when they see injustice.

The other thing I try to do is to live simply. Sure, it's tough living paycheck to paycheck and worrying that there won't be enough to make ends meet. At the same time, I've learned to live with less and be grateful for what I have, trying to find abundance in all areas of my life. I don't always succeed at this... in fact I can easily fall into a state of resentment and self-pity if I let myself. But ultimately, that's counter productive. It helps no one, least of all myself. As the phrase goes, "Live simply so that others can simply live."

Finally, when I think of the word "peace", I think of calm. My life is often hectic and noisy. I relish the moments I have when I can sit quietly and simply "be". These weeks of enforced inactivity have been a gift in that way. I know from experience that unless I'm in a state of peace, I can't be effective in promoting peace beyond myself.